Mismatch From Hell
by HeartOfDarkess
Summary: After landing his dream job, Edward Cullen moves to a new town and has to make new friends, and he makes a special friend through Fan Fiction.  What happens when his on-line life and real life collide?  My submission to Tori for FicAwesome Gift Exchange


**Ficawesome Gift Echange- TAKE 2**  
**Title: Mismatch from Hell **  
**Written for: Tori**  
**Written By: HeartOfDarkess**  
**Rating: M**  
**Summary/Prompt used: **The couple meets via a case of mistaken identity involving a social networking site.

**If you would like to see all the stories that are a part of this exchange visit the facebook group: ****Fanficaholics Anon: Where Obsession Never Sleeps **

**Dear Tori - Thank you for allowing me to write this for you. I hope you enjoy and that I do it justice.**

**Thank you to my Beta Glee68. You saved my hide my girl! Thank you for making my words look way better and helping me out of a tight spot when I missed my deadline. Mwah! **

**EPOV**

**Present Day...**

Life. It's a funny thing. If someone had told me that I'd be sitting here, waiting to meet my destiny, I'd have told them they were crazy.

And yet...here I was.

Waiting.

Waiting for my life to begin.

I stared at the plastic flowers that sat in a plain white vase, and the small candle that flickered behind amber glass. The restaurant was unfamiliar...and on the other side of town. Not too pretentious, Italian, with red and white checked tablecloths. A singing chef and noisy clientele whose voices echoed through the place, making it anything but quiet. I'd hoped that I was far enough away from home to remain a stranger to all that inhabited this place, and that it's lack of an intimate atmosphere would be less...intimidating for all concerned.

Not that I was afraid to be here.

Not at all.

I mean, why should I be? People did this every day. They met, they talked, they found things in common...they connected on a level that was deeper than with others in their lives. So why the hell was I worried?

Well...just sit back and relax...and tell me you wouldn't do the same thing.

Go on...I dare you!

Listen to my tale...and tell me if you'd even be sitting here...waiting...

**3 Months Earlier...**

My life was at a crossroads. I had a great family, a place of my own and great friends, only to be forced to give it up for my career. Forks, Washington wasn't exactly the IT hub of the world, so I hauled ass and moved away from the familiar...from the safe haven that was my life, leaving my family and friends behind, all to take up a job at the most envied place to work on the planet.

So here I was, in sunny California, alone and beginning my new career working for Google...the best goddamned place on earth to work. I'd become a small cog in a big wheel, but I wasn't about to complain. At least, not about my career anyway.

"So, you up for some lunch there, Edward?" Jasper asked, checking his watch. "There's a great cafe a block downtown."

Jasper sat in the cubicle diagonally opposite me, his position similar to mine, he'd been asked to be my mentor and help me settle in. I took my position of administrative assistant in the hope I'd gain the experience to work within the Engineering Department, and was thrilled to be given the opportunity.

It was my first week on the job, and I'd been introduced to seemingly hundreds of people. Their faces and names coagulated into an unrecognisable mish-mash, as each day Jasper would show me another department and another set of co-workers whose names I had to memorise. I hoped that somehow I'd eventually remember everyone's name in the Mountain View offices, and that I'd also be able to commit to memory which department they were from. For now, though, I knew who worked in my area in the Human Resources Department, which was a good start until I got over my initial information overload. The place was a dream to work for, and the perks for staff were second to none.

"Oh. Sure. Guess I need to eat," I answered as I stood to my feet.

"Hey, bring me back a coffee would you?" Mike asked as he passed through the office, delivering mail to our already overflowing in-trays. Jasper waved him away as we left the office and headed downtown, the sunny climate something I was still getting used to as the glare hit my eyes, making them water.

"You need a good pair of sunglasses," Jasper laughed.

"Yeah. I'm used to rain and cloudy weather most of the time," I answered as we walked into the crowded cafe and found a booth.

"What'll it be boys?" the red headed waitress asked, thumbing through her notepad.

"Cheeseburger and fries, a glass of water and black coffee thanks," I said.

Jasper raised an eyebrow at me and then said, "I'll have the same, but forget the coffee and replace the burger and fries with a chicken salad, please honey." He snickered at me as we both handed the menus back to the waitress, who rolled her eyes and walked away in silence.

"So, guess you don't approve of my eating habits?" I asked with an awkward laugh.

"Makes no difference to me, but you might wanna consider changing your diet when you start to nudge thirty. I believe they're the years where those love handles begin to show and you may start to have heart palpitations." Jasper broke into a loud laugh then, and I found myself blushing with embarrassment, making a mental note to order something less fattening if we ate out again. I liked the guy, and wanted to make an impression on him, seeing that he was the only guy I'd said more than two words to since moving to this place.

"Noted, but I still have at least five years to go before I have to start worrying." I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly.

"True," he agreed. "But we wouldn't wanna drive any potential mates away either." His laughter abated but he continued to smile.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," I said, feeling my blush deepen.

Sensing my embarrassment, the guy finally decided to cut me a break. "So. You've met nearly everyone in the department except for Bella Swan. She's back from her vacation tomorrow, so I can introduce you then."

"She's the Engineering Department head, right?" I asked, trying but failing to remain casual. Instead my high voice and salivating at the thought of getting on this woman's good side, which could hopefully get me promoted in the future, gave me away. I'd also seen a picture of her in the marketing update that had been circulated around the office. I had to admit she was seriously hot, but knew that trying to date the girl was perhaps not the best way to land the job of my dreams.

"Jesus, man, dial your enthusiasm down a notch, okay?" he suggested as I wiped a small bit a dribble that had seeped from the corner of my mouth. "You're drooling for fuck's sake!"

I was obviously failing at hiding my excitement. I had to get a handle on my emotions. Meeting Bella and charming her, in a strictly work-like way, was the way to go. And I wasn't beneath asking for favours either. I'd just have to show her how efficient I was and hope she'd take me under her wing.

Jasper and I talked during lunch and got to know each other more. I could seriously see myself becoming the guy's friend. He had a sister back home in Texas who was married, had been in a few relationships but had never found 'the one', and was an avid reader. Just like me, he liked reading books on the supernatural, and also like me, he had no family here.

"Hey, you should check out this fan fiction site I look at from time to time. I must be the only guy who reads stuff on there, but some of the stories are fantastic."

"Really? But isn't it a bit boring to be reading about someone else's characters?"

"You have no idea, Edward. These stories may use the characters from the movies and books, but they're nothing like them. I've even seen some of them published for real, well after they change the names and all."

"Hmmm. Sounds interesting," I said, more than a bit intrigued.

"Oh and guess who is a fan fiction writer? None other than Bella. If you give me your email, I can hook you up with her stories. She's quite the talented one. Oh, but don't tell anyone else in the office...it's kind of a secret."

"Oh, okay," I said, pulling out my blackberry. Jasper got out his IPhone and we exchanged numbers and emails.

"Do you have a Facebook account too?" he asked.

"Sure. I haven't been using it all that much, but now I'm here I think I might use it to share some photos with my family."

"I'll send you a friend request as well, if that's alright."

"Sure," I shrugged, hiding my smile. I felt as though my life was finally beginning, and if I could make a few friends as well as hold down my dream job, all the better.

**The next day...**

"Hello, Miss Swan. It's nice to meet you," I said, nervously reaching my hand out to shake hers. Jasper had taken me to the break room, where there was a pool table, a big screen TV and every gadget known to man for amusement. We'd gone over to the coffee machine to make ourselves a couple of lattes, and there she was.

"Mr Cullen, is it?" she answered with a formality I wasn't used to as she shook my hand once firmly before releasing it. Jasper had warned me not to use her first name here...she was a stickler for keeping everything business-like in the workplace.

She was beautiful, but she didn't smile much. She wore a black pants suit and had her hair tied up in a severe bun. I realised that, as Jasper had warned, this woman was an ice queen, and it was going to take a lot of work for me to defrost her. But...I liked a challenge.

"Yes. So nice to finally meet you," I said, giving her my best panty-dropping smile. She pursed her lips and turned to continue making her coffee.

"So, a little bird tells me you're interested in working for my Department, Mr Cullen." Jasper cleared his throat, and the guilty expression on his face was priceless.

"Yes," I answered as she picked up her cup and stopped in front of me.

"Well, I shall have to keep my eye on you, won't I Mr Cullen?" she said with an arched brow before making her way out the door.

Before I could utter another word, she was gone. My gaping mouth snapped shut when Jasper clapped me on the back.

"Come on dude. Let's go sit down and have our coffee, before I kick your ass in a quick game of pool."

I shot him a smile, picking up my cup and answered, "You're on!"

**One Month Later...**

I'd spent the entire month learning the ropes and wherever possible, sucking up to Bella. She had been keeping her eye on me, and for the most part seemed impressed with my work. I'd begun to read her stories, and I had to admit they were really very good. I hadn't submitted any reviews, though, worried that she'd know who I was. I didn't feel right charming her via that place, but at the same time I had to admit I was becoming deeply engrossed in her stories.

Finally, one day, Jasper had overheard her speaking to my manager, Peter, about moving me over as an administrative assistant to her department, citing that her schedule had been put back with a conference she had to attend and that her assistant was due to go on maternity leave.

So there I was, working for Bella, and I had to admit that I didn't half mind it. Though she still insisted on addressing me by my last name, every now and then I'd catch her smiling at me briefly, or staring at me a little longer than was considered acceptable, giving me hope that one day I'd be working alongside her instead of being her assistant. Maybe more. I brushed aside those feelings though. Relationships between workmates rarely worked out from what I'd heard, and I really wanted to make a go of things here.

It was 3.00pm Friday afternoon, and Bella emerged from her office and shut the door behind her, purse and jacket in hand.

"I have a meeting to go to, so I'll head home from there. Do you have any plans for the weekend?" she asked. Though her question was friendly, her expression was non-committal as if the only reason she was asking was to be cordial like one would be to a relative that one saw at weddings and funerals.

"Not much. Beer with Jasper, maybe catch up on some reading," I said with a sly smile.

"Reading?" she asked as she put her jacket on and looped the handles of her purse over her shoulder. This was my opportunity to gain more brownie points, I realised, so I decided to let her in on my little obsession.

"Yes. I've actually been reading a bit of fan fiction on this site I found. There are a few great writers on there that I think are talented enough to be published."

"Hmmph," she answered with a disinterested shrug, her response, as usual, not giving anything away. My confession didn't appear to impress her, and realising that I was probably fishing in dangerous waters, I changed the subject.

"Then of course I have my laundry to do, then I might go for a game of pool after that..."

"Yes. Well. I'll see you Monday," Bella said curtly as she walked past Jasper who was approaching. "By the way, I'd also like to talk to you first thing Monday...so please schedule in a half hour for us."

"Yes, Miss Swan," I answered, my stomach suddenly clenching at the thought of what that was about. I stared at her face, trying to glean some sort of answer from her expression, but as usual, I got nothing. Stoic as ever, she stared at me in return, her raised brow silently accusing me of staring just that bit too long. Yet again I was confused, as there were times when she would show a little warmth, but then shut down just as quickly.

"What?" she asked finally, her eyes glaring.

"Nothing at all. I'll schedule it in no problem." I turned back to my screen, and out of my peripheral vision I saw her move to leave.

"See that you do. Enjoy your weekend," she said with a chuckle as she glanced at Jasper before leaving. Oh now what did _that_ reaction mean?

Jasper stared at her retreating form, stunned.

"What the hell was that all about?" he asked, knowing that Bella rarely laughed.

"I don't know, but what I do know is that I'm meeting with her first thing Monday," I said nervously.

"Jesus, Cullen you don't waste any time! I wonder if it's about a promotion?"

"I'm not getting my hopes up," I said, being the 'glass is half empty' kind of guy that I was.

"Well, okay. Beer at Jo's later?"

"You're on," I answered as I opened Bella's scheduler and entered a meeting in her 9am slot.

Jasper turned to leave, but hesitated and added, "By the way, I heard you mention the fan fiction thing. Be careful about that. Remember Edward, it _is_ her dirty little secret."

"Sure, no problem," I reassured him. "I have to get these reports finished and email them to Bella before I leave, so I'll see you at five, okay?"

Jasper let out a laugh and left me to it. As I prepared my reports and sent them off, my mind began to wander as I thought about how far I'd come in such a short amount of time. I'd settled into my job, found a comrade who I considered the best friend I'd ever had, and things were looking great on the promotion front. And then, I thought about Bella. That woman confounded me and the more time I spent with her, the more she befuddled me. She and I didn't seem to be compatible in any way, except for the fact that she was a closet fan fiction writer, and just for that reason alone she fascinated me. And then I thought further. I realised that no matter what woman I met and dated, there had been no connection there. I really wanted to meet someone I could share my life with, but none that I'd ever been with ever made the grade, or even lasted beyond the first date. I wondered if Bella could be the one to fill that role.

"I think I may just have to review a few stories, then," I said as I checked the time. Work done and with twenty minutes to spare before I had to meet up with Jasper, I decided to log on and read a one shot that Bella had posted that morning. I quickly found her page, her pen name of Twigasm1000 always making me chuckle. I devoured the three way boy/boy/girl slashfic, and before I knew it, I was feeling more than a little hot under the collar.

Shifting uncomfortably in my seat, trying to suppress my growing excitement, I wrote my review.

_Enjoyed your story. I like the hot loving between the characters and the story surrounding how they got together. I think that you could publish your work outside fan fiction. Can't wait to read more of what you have to offer ;) fanficfanguy69. _

I browsed around her profile and smiled. Every story I'd read I loved. I hadn't alerted or commented on any of them, but since things had appeared to look up, I decided that I'd let Bella know I was reading her work...well anonymously anyway. She was, after all, a talented writer. I shut my computer down and headed out the door, smiling as I headed out for my usual beer with Jasper.

"So, what you're saying," I slurred, "is that you haven't met the right girl either?" I'd tied one on, and though Jasper had kept up with me initially, my nerves about Monday's meeting meant I'd had a bit more to drink than usual. Jasper had ordered some pizza for me to eat, which I inhaled, but I was still a little wasted.

"Nah," Jasper answered. "It's not like I haven't met my share of them...but I don't know..." He sighed as he stared at is beer for a brief moment. I slammed my clenched fist down on the table, causing him to jump in his seat.

"Well damn! You and me...we sure do have our things in common!" I said with a loud laugh.

"That we do. Course, I have no idea what you see in Bella Swan, but different strokes for different...well you know what I mean."

"I guess," I said. "I just wish I could figure her out. You...I mean you're just so easy. I know you. But her..." I found myself rambling after that, trying to figure out what I felt about the apparent non-feeling Bella Swan. "Jasper. You deserve to have someone to love." I reached out and poked him in the chest. "You're such a nice guy. Annnnnyyyy girl would be lucky to have you!" My face was inches from his and his blush and awkward smile made me realise I was making him feel uncomfortable. Not that it was about to stop me.

"Yeh well I don't know about that. Listen I'm feeling a bit tired. How about we get you home?" he suggested, standing to his feet and pulling me by the arm to mine. His touch was always so sure, and when he was around, I always felt safe.

As he led me stumbling outside to his waiting car, his arm wrapped around my waist as he supported me, I continued to make a fool of myself. "You know what Jasper? I wish you were a girl. I've never been able to talk to them as good as I can talk to you. I love you man!" I slurred as I planted a wet, sloppy kiss on his cheek and let out an overly-exaggerated chuckle.

"Yeh man, I love you too, you giant pain in the ass! Now get in the car, Romeo," he answered with a laugh as he got in and started his precious truck, rolling his eyes at my stupid behaviour.

The last thing I remember was the purr of the engine lulling me off to sleep.

**The next day...**

I woke up feeling groggy and a little worse for wear, but all things considered, I felt pretty good. I saw two Tylenol and a glass of water on my nightstand, realising that Jasper had left it there for me before putting me to bed and heading home. I took the pills and washed them down before I got out of bed and headed straight for the shower, feeling a bit embarrassed about my drunken behaviour the night before and then positively mortified when I realised I'd woken up naked.

Once I'd showered and dressed in a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt, I sat down at my desk with some toast and coffee, eating as I switched on my laptop and waited for it to start up.

As soon as I opened my email, a couple of messages came through, one of them a review reply from Bella. I shoved the rest of my toast in my mouth and inhaled my coffee before rubbing my suddenly sweaty palms together with excitement. She'd replied to my review. I opened my fan fiction account and clicked on the message.

_Thanks for the props and the review. So you're a guy slash lover huh? Great to see there's finally one around here! The story I wrote is something I'd been thinking about writing for a while, but until recently I wasn't brave enough to put out there. I really like writing slash. Guess it's the naughty devil in me ;) Though my other stories are not the same as this one, I'd love it if you checked them out as well. Looking forward to hearing what you think._

I quickly tapped out a reply, making sure she understood that I wasn't into the guys so much as the entire story.

_I'm not a slash lover exclusively but I do like the way you write. Not only will I check your other stories out, I will review each and every chapter. I like your style, and love the fact that you have the little devil in you. Makes for more interesting stories, don't you think? PS: I have a naughty little devil in me too, in case you were wondering ;)_

I pressed the send button and smiled. It was amazing how brave I was when the person I was writing to had no idea who I was, and as much as I was possibly flirting with danger, I did admire Bella's work and wanted her to know that someone out there appreciated all the time it took to put her ideas out there.

I refreshed the screen and received an immediate response from Bella, excited by the fact that she was on line, chuckling as I read her reply.

_Hey thanks. I really enjoy reading your reviews, so the more the better. I'm also intrigued that you have the devil in you too. Following on from that, I'm also interested in what else you like to read, as I'm fascinated that there's a guy that's into reading fan fiction. Drop me a line anytime and tell me a bit about yourself. ;) _

Oh this was great. She was finally asking me about me...except...she didn't know who I was. On one hand it bothered me that she wanted to know more about some stranger on the other end of a private message when at work I couldn't get much out of her; but on the other hand, I couldn't resist the opportunity to get to know the boss a little better without the risk of being discovered. If nothing else, it would give me further insight into her personality, thus giving me an unspoken advantage when we did business. Or, whatever else happened to come up.

All afternoon we messaged one another. I found out so many things about her that it was astounding. It was as if the anonymity of being behind a computer screen gave her the courage to reveal so much more about herself, and I was stunned by some of her admissions. She loved the colour green, and told me it was the colour of nature but also the colour of the eyes of someone she cared about. She loved her work, but of course wouldn't reveal where it was outright, but did hint that she was involved in the IT industry. She also revealed that she had a crush on someone at her work, and my stomach tied itself in knots as I also confessed that I admired someone at work as well.

That night, I jerked off to the image of a lonely figure sitting in the dark, the screen of the computer the only thing illuminating the room as fine fingers tapped out a dirty story about a hot affair between a boss and computer geek who worked for Google...

**Sunday night...**

After spending the morning doing laundry, then an afternoon reading and reviewing Bella's stories, I received a message from Jasper, asking me if I wanted to go play some pool.

I met him at Jo's once more, and as we settled into our usual banter and began our first game, I nearly dropped my cue stick as the most unlikely person walked in and strolled straight towards us.

"Well well. If it isn't my two most favourite boys from work," Bella said with a broad smile. Her hair was down and cascaded loosely around her shoulders and she wore a blue shirt and black pencil jeans. My mouth was gaping as I stood there looking at her, wondering if I was hallucinating.

Jasper stood there, just as shocked, but he seemed to come out of his stupor before me. He cleared his throat and said, "Great to see you, Miss Swan."

"Bella. Call me Bella while we're out of the office," she offered, winking at me. I snapped my mouth shut, unable to think of anything to say.

"Bella it is," Jasper said, nudging me in the ribs with his elbow, bringing me out of my haze enough that I could speak.

"Uh, yeh, sorry. Bella," I stammered.

"So, you guys play pool huh? Mind if I join you?" Was this the same woman or did she have a twin sister? I couldn't believe how different she was.

"Sure. How about I buy us a round?" Jasper suggested with a smile as he walked past us and headed for the bar.

"Thanks Jasper, that'd be great," she said before she turned to me and added, "Well come on then, Edward. Rack 'em up!" Bella commanded as she grabbed a cue from the rack on the wall, her expression suddenly turning deadly serious as I collected the balls and set up a new game.

"Competitive much?" I asked as she stalked to the end of the table and leant forward, chuckling as she broke, sinking several balls.

"How else do you think I run an entire division which consists of an entirely all male staff?" she questioned as I watched her lean over and take another shot, noting the curve of her ass as she bent over in front of me before I glanced over at the bar, watching Jasper as he paid for the beers and headed back over.

"It must bring about a whole unique set of challenges," I mused. "How do you handle it?"

"When I did my degree I was the only woman in most of my classes, so I got used to it pretty quickly."

Jasper smiled and handed us all some beers. "Here we go. Now what should we drink to?" he asked.

"To new friendships!" Bella said enthusiastically as we clanked our bottles together.

We spent the rest of the evening drinking, talking and laughing. I had to admit Bella wasn't bad company at all. I was still confused about her angle because her work persona was nothing like the woman who was drinking and playing pool with us, but I wasn't about to object to her loosening up either. This woman had so many faces. And Jasper was being his usual fun self and I had to admit I had never felt so comfortable around anyone else in a long time.

"So? Are you two best buddies now or what?" Bella asked me as she sunk the last ball of our fifth game before fist bumping Jasper, who smiled in defeat. She'd beaten us both in all but one game, and that was won by Jasper. I, on the other hand, had never claimed to be a good pool player.

"Guess we are. That isn't a problem is it?" I asked, suddenly concerned. We all picked up our drinks and headed to a table to sit down.

"Doesn't bother me, as long as it doesn't affect your work," she said with a shrug and a knowing smile. I breathed a sigh of relief, and as I watched her smile broaden and her give me a wink. I wondered if she was trying to tell me that she didn't have a problem if our relationship was to become more. As I considered that new piece of information, I wondered how I felt about it. It wasn't as though I didn't admire Bella, but still...I wasn't sure if I wanted to risk losing what I'd already gained. Then again, knowing her feelings on the subject would at least give me a few more options to consider.

I inhaled the rest of my beer and said, "So you're not against relationships in the workplace, then?"

Jasper coughed, scrubbing his stubbly chin awkwardly before drinking the rest of his beer and slamming it down on the table.

"No," she answered. "In fact, I wouldn't mind shooting the shit with you guys on a regular basis," she said with a laugh.

"Good to know," I answered, laughing in return as I briefly touched her forearm, while Jasper just stared at the both of us with an odd expression on his face.

I wondered if he suddenly felt like some sort of 'third wheel', so I withdrew my hand and stood up, "Guess I'd better hit the road. Early meeting in the morning with the boss, and I don't have a thing to wear!"

Jasper burst out laughing before the two of us joined in. We bid our farewells and all headed home...alone.

**Monday morning...**

Jasper bought me a strong coffee that I inhaled at my desk before it was time to go and meet Bella. He smiled and wished me good luck, patting me on the shoulder before heading back to his department.

"Mr Cullen, take a seat," she said with a smile as I closed the door to her office behind me and sat in the black leather chair at the front of her timber desk. She stared at some papers on her desk and drummed her fingers on the desk as she let out a sigh. I wrung my suddenly sweaty hands together, worried that she was preparing to tell me bad news.

"I have to say I've been most impressed with your work, and I think that if you continue that standard, I may be so inclined as to recommend you for a permanent position within my department."

"Wow. Really?" I asked, surprised.

"Yes. I have a presentation to prepare and will need you to work a few extra hours here and there. Would that be okay?"

"Sure. No problem at all," I replied, as I felt my hands relax and settle in my lap.

"Alright then, things will be getting pretty busy from next week. If all goes well, I'll be making a recommendation to get you your promotion."

"Thank you so much," I said, feeling a grin spread across my face.

"No problem. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to prepare for my next meeting," she said curtly, prompting me to stand up and leave quickly before she regained her sanity and changed her mind.

I sprinted towards Jasper's desk to tell him the news, knowing that until I shared it with him, it wouldn't be real. I leaned over and told him the news, trying to keep it from prying ears of others.

"For real?" he asked as I nodded, feeling giddy. "You didn't even have to fuck her and you've already got a chance for a promotion?" he whispered with a crazy beautiful smile. What? I thought his smile was beautiful?

I cleared my throat and blinked a few times, trying to work out where _that _came from. "Yeah," I croaked, biting my lip between my teeth.

Sensing my shift in mood, Jasper stared at me curiously for a moment, his elbows in the desk as he tented his fingers under his cleft chin. His gaze was near hypnotic, and he was appraising me as if he were trying to solve an unsolvable riddle. Meanwhile, my gaze arrived at his lips...his full, pouty lips. I felt my mouth become dry and as the world disappeared for a brief moment, and just as it did and Jasper was brought into focus, he gave me his trademark half-assed smile.

"Mr Cullen, there you are. Be sure you finish those reports and email them off by twelve," Bella said as I was suddenly made aware of her presence.

"Oh sure. I'll get right on that, Miss Swan." Her eyes darted between the two of us, and I could swear I saw a tiny smile play across her lips before she turned to leave.

"Sorry, Jasper," I said awkwardly, not really knowing what I was apologising for.

"No problem, Edward. You'd best get back to work then," he added with a smile, his hands waving me away as he shook his head.

**The following weeks...**

We spent weeks working on her proposal, and I had to admit I was enjoying the challenge of doing what I loved. Bella asked my opinion on many things, and it felt as if we were partners in this project rather than boss and employee.

Jasper and I got together when we could, but my social life was suffering with the extra workload. He understood, and as the weeks passed, he'd pop into the office and bring me coffee, or occasionally drag me to the staff room for a game of pool just to catch up on things. Bella and I would even join him for an occasional beer. In those rare but welcome moments, I found myself laughing at everything Jasper did or said, and more than once found myself watching him when he wasn't looking. I also found myself watching Bella in a state of confusion at work, while at home we continued corresponding via fan fiction messages. Through that and our occasional social outings, I found myself falling for Bella's charms.

It got to the stage where I wondered if I should confess who I was to her and get things out in the open, but then again...I wondered if she'd turn me away, or worse still withdraw her offer for my promotion.

And then, one Friday morning, the decision was taken out of my hands.

"I think we're ready," she said as she saved the last of the reports and printed it out as we sat at her desk and sorted through the last of the handouts we had prepared. I picked up the pages from the printer and sorted into the final pile before she added. "Is the Power Point presentation ready to go?"

"Sure is. You're ready for Monday, and we finished with half a day to spare." I smiled victoriously. We'd worked hard to meet a very tight deadline and I was proud of what we'd achieved.

"Congratulations, Edward. You did a great job, and I couldn't have done this without you." It didn't escape my attention that she offered one of her few workplace smiles, or that she called me Edward for the first time ever at work. As I grinned at her in return, finally feeling that I was her equal, I knew that if nothing else developed, I could see us having a fruitful working relationship.

"Now, how about we go out and celebrate your promotion?"

"Wow. Really?" I asked, caught by surprise. She nodded her head and gave me her best 'of course you idiot' expression. "Of course. I'd like that very much."

"Good. I know this little out of the way Italian place I like to go to. I mean, I hope you don't mind, but I'd rather not go anywhere around here. You know how I feel about the gossip in this place..."

"That would be great," I said. "And thank you for everything, Bella," I said, swallowing nervously as I used her first name for the first time at work. She rolled her eyes, but didn't seem to object. Feeling elated, like I wanted to burst, I knew who I wanted to share the news with. It just wouldn't be real without my best friend knowing about it.

"I'll text you the details, and meanwhile why don't you go tell Jasper before you explode, and maybe take the afternoon off? I don't want blood and guts all over my freshly printed paperwork." She smirked at me and shot me a curious wink. She'd obviously gotten to know me even better than I suspected.

To my disappointment, I arrived at an empty desk. Mike told me that Jasper had unfortunately been called in to take some interviews that Peter had scheduled that afternoon, but had to get Jasper to fill in because he himself had been asked to attend a last minute meeting.

I left and headed home, feeling that my life was finally on track, texting Jasper as I got ready to go out. I didn't get a response, but figured he must have run over time with his interviews. I smiled at the thought that Peter was giving Jasper some extra responsibility and hoped he'd get promoted soon as well. It wasn't something he aspired to, but I still wanted to see him succeed...to be the best he could be, and I knew that being the people person he was, Human Resources was his thing.

Showered and dressed in a pair of blue dress pants and a white cotton shirt, I checked my watch and realised I had a few minutes to spare and to kill some time, I sat at my laptop and checked to see if I'd received any more messages from my favourite fan fiction author. Sure enough, a message was sitting in my inbox.

_Thanks for reviewing the final chapter of my story. I'll be taking a bit of a break before I write again, but I just wanted you to know something. The reason I'm taking my break is that I like you. I mean, I really like you. I never thought it would happen this way, but there it is. I'll understand if this makes you uncomfortable, as I know you like someone at your work, and even though you haven't spelled it out in black and white, I get the feeling that you like this person more than you care to admit. The thing is, though, I think I know who you are. From our conversations, I'm pretty certain that I work in the same building as you, and though that may be a shock, I felt I just had to tell you the truth. Anyway, I'll leave it up to you if you want to keep writing me, or if you think I'm some sort of weirdo telling you all of this. I'll keep things quiet at work and I'll understand if I don't hear from you after this. I'd just like to thank you for your friendship. I'll treasure it always. xx Twi._

"Holy shit! She knows!" I shrieked, feeling a rush of emotions suddenly course through me, her confession hitting me incredibly hard. I didn't know how I felt about her revelation. I mean, we would be working alongside each other! What happened if things didn't work out between us? And did I really feel that way about her? Sure, we'd become closer, but I really only ever had platonic feelings of friendship towards her when we were together, and though she was beautiful, I felt nothing beyond the camaraderie that workmates and friends shared. Or was I convincing myself that I felt that way because I was worried about jeopardising my job?

I stood to my feet and paced the floor, running my fingers through my damp hair. "I could just ignore her confession," I muttered to myself as I thought further. "I just won't reply. That's it. I'll just carry on as if I didn't get that message." Well, there was nothing like burying one's head in the sand in times of crisis. But then, I wondered how do I treat tonight? Is it a date?

I really didn't know what to make if any of it any longer, but out of time and options, I tapped out a quick '_I have to go out right now, but I'll reply when I get home' _before I shut it off my laptop and headed out the door.

**Present time...**

So here I was...sitting.

Waiting.

Wondering if I'd done the right thing by sending her that non-message. I didn't want to rush things, and needed time to consider how I was going to reply, especially since I was meeting Bella for dinner. "You should have just said nothing," I moaned under my breath as I took a sip of water.

Watching the door open and close as people arrived and left, the knot in my stomach increasing in size as the time approached for her arrival, my thoughts reeled about how my life had changed these past months. And as I considered things further, my mind drifted back to Jasper. I hadn't heard from him all afternoon, even though I'd text him to let him know about my very surprising news, and that kind of pissed me off. I really wanted to talk to him about everything that had happened, especially about the latest message that Bella had sent me, confessing everything. I really didn't know what to do about any of it, and he was the only one I could talk to.

My phone finally buzzed in my pocket, and I didn't fail to recognise that I was a bit disappointed to find it was a message from Bella instead of Jasper.

_Hey Edward. Sorry to do this, but I've been thinking about our date tonight and realise I haven't been fair to you, or entirely honest._

"Oh no!" I hissed under my breath as I continued to read the text, expecting the worst.

_I don't know if you realise this, but I care a great deal about you...but only as a friend and co-worker. _

"Well that doesn't make sense at all!" I added, thinking once more about the private message she'd sent me. Perhaps I'd misinterpreted it. Maybe I'd gotten things wrong. And then, as I thought further, I realised that it all made sense. She'd gotten it wrong. She obviously didn't know that fanficfanguy69 and I were one in the same person after all. I inhaled sharply and tried to keep calm, the feelings running through me ones of surprised relief, which I found strangely comforting as I read on.

_And because I'm your friend, I'm going to do something for you. I'm going to force you to admit a few home truths, so I've sent along a replacement date to help things along. I'd just like to ask you in advance to forgive me if I'm wrong about this, but, as you've come to know, I'm not often wrong. Enjoy your evening, and I'll see you Monday for our presentation. I look forward to working alongside you and I hope we can still grab a beer and a game of pool every now and again, that is, if your date doesn't mind. Take care. Bella._

I stared at the message opened mouthed, unable to comprehend what she'd done, and as I let out an audible groan at the thought of being set up with someone else, I sensed an all-too-familiar presence behind me. A strong hand touched my shoulder while a familiar scent invaded my senses. The scent of musk aftershave and man caused me to inhale raggedly before I let out a gasp of shock as the last person I expected to see on earth stood there next to me, a sense of longing and anxiety crossing his beautiful...yes beautiful face. And then as he stood before me, he let the most pivotal, life altering, shocking and sweetest words I'd ever heard fall from his lips.

"Hey, fanficfanguy69. It's so nice to meet one of my readers in the flesh..."

**A/N: *runs and hides* Hope you liked it Tori! Mwah! Now...peoples...show me the lurve! **


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